Rescue workers search for survivors at the site of an Israeli air strike that targeted the Lebanese village of al-Ain in the Bekaa Valley on Nov. 6, 2024. (Credit: AFP)
The Federation of Workers and Employees of Saida and the South called on the authorities, particularly the caretaker Minister of Labor, Moustapha Bayram, on Wednesday to protect workers' rights during times of conflict by legislating to ensure that the salaries of workers and employees who are unable to go to work, displaced, or injured during the conflict are paid. This comes amid an unprecedented escalation of the conflict in southern Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah since September.
The organization also called on the state to maintain health coverage for workers who are out of work, exempt displaced workers from social security contributions and taxes, and prevent any deterioration of their living conditions. The Federation further urged employers to pay the salaries of workers and employees who have been displaced or affected by the conflict, in a statement.
According to the latest report from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), published on Oct. 13, 2024, Lebanon has recorded nearly 700,000 internally displaced persons, primarily in the south. However, according to Lebanese authorities, Lebanon is currently home to more than 1.4 million refugees, according to a report compiled at the end of October by caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.
In its statement, the Federation recalled Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon and many other Lebanese regions, which caused unprecedented destruction, forced populations to flee, deprived workers of their jobs, and killed and injured thousands of civilians.
The latest report from the Ministry of Health states that 3,013 people have died and 13,553 have been injured in Lebanon since the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel began on Oct. 8, 2023.
"Workers today are facing immense economic pressure, particularly those with average or low incomes," the Federation emphasized, while also urging state disaster relief and management agencies to extend measures to all professional sectors in war zones and other less affected areas, including fishermen, farmers, construction workers, small artisans, industrial, and commercial workers.
